Improvement in military accouterments



J. E. ISL-00M. Military Aooouterments.

Patente-d June 3,1879.

N.PETER$, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES JACOB E. BLOOM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT i I N LITARY ACCOUTERM ENTS.

Specification forming` part of Letters Patent No.

2l 6,017, dated- Jane e, 1879; application inea Y .November 23, 1878.l

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB E. BLooM, of the city of Cincinnati, county ofHamilton, State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulAccouterment-Harness for Army Use and other purposes where heavy weightsare to be borne and carried; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction, action, andmanner of using the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a harness or system ofsupporting and suspensory bands or straps and plates or stirrups forcarrying heavy loads upon the body, by which the weight thereof shall bedirectly transferred to and supported by the shoulders, shoulderhlades,and upper parts of the chest, and shall be divided between and thrownupon both shoulders and other parts of the frame equally withoutproducing any horizontal or forward pressure of the weight upon thechest and vital parts within, whereby a soldier, hunter, or other personcan carry a heavier weight of accouterments, ammunition, Ste., thanheretofop?, and with more ease and comfort to himse i My inventionconsists in the combination, with a saddle composed of two straps,passing over the shoulder and joined at their ends to plates orstirrups, of a blanket-strap secured to each stirrup for securing theblankets and articles rolled therein to the harness, and fordistributing. the .weight .thereof :equally upon both shoulders. andupon both sides of the body, the blanket-roll being thus suspended froma central point front and rear upon a line passing through its center ofgravity, thus causing such a disposition oi' these articles as not todisturb the equilibrium, of the body.

It further consists in the novel construction of elastic metallic bracesor bows, to be used and combined with the saddle and its suspensoryplates when the man has a very protuberant chest, or when the load to becarried upon or across .the shoulders is very heavy, for the purpose ot'resisting any horizontal .orinward pressure at front and back upontherespirately organs orthevitahparts.. l

Ynection with the aforesaid supportant saddle, whereby double, or eventreble, the quantity of xed ammunition can be carried by the soldier orhunter, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings referred to, Figure l is a view of the harness inposition upon a soldier, showing the mode of carrying the blanket-roll,ammunition belt, and Aother accouterments. Fig. 2 is a detail view ofthe harness and ammunition-belt. Fig. 3 is a detail View of one of thesuspensory plates or stirrups, showing the slots for the suspensoryhooks and clips and the socket to receive the ends of the spring bracesor bows, .n Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the metallic spring bracesor bows, showing their position with respect to the other parts of theharness Fig. 6, a view of pistol-holster .employed in connection with myammunitionbelt.

The saddle is composed of two bands or straps, A A, provided withbuckles a, a, and arranged to pass over the shoulders and meet togetherat points in front and at the back opposite to each other, where theyare riveted or otherwise secured to the suspensory plates or stirrups BB. These plates thus have a position at the front and back on a centerline of the body whenthe saddle is adj usted, and 'they are providedalso with holes or slots b b, for the hooks and clips of thesuspension-straps of the belt and other accouterments. These plates B Balso have a socket, c, to receive the ends of the braces or bows C, whenthe same are used 5 but the stirrups or breastplatesv are also madeflat, without these sockets, when the braces are not required. Fromthese points B B, therefore, all the various parts of the accoutermentsor the load are susA pended and carried, and by means of the straps A Athe weight is taken equally by the shoulders and adjacent parts of theframe. lThe buckles a a upon the saddle A may be either in front or inrear,or at both sides, in order the better to make the saddle adjustableto men of different. sizes, or upon the same man when worn with andwithout the overcoat.V

Upon each plate B is secured a blanketstrap, D, with double buckles andends d d c e, spreading in such a position that they shall.

properly clasp and hold the blanket when it is rolled and worn, in thewell-kiiowii form ot' a blanket-roll,77 diagonally across the body from.one shoulder. These two straps D D embrace the roll at the front andback, claspin g the center of gravity of the front and rear halves ofthe roll, and they serve to support the weight of the roll and itscontents equally before and behind, and also to keep the weight fromresting or being upon that shoulder over which the roll passes, allowinga free circulation of the air between the roll and the body. Thesestraps D can also be secured to the plates B, each by a sin gleswivel-bolt, so that they can be turned about upon these points as acenter, and the blanket or roll clasped by them can be shifted from oneshoulder to the other, or worn across either the right or the leftshoulder, as desired. The entire saddle is reversible, th us th rowingthe blanket-roll across the right shoulder, where before it was acrossthe left.

When the load to be borne or carried is of such eXtra weight that itwould tend to draw the straps A out of their inclined position,`andthrow their sides or inner edges against the neck of the wearer, orcause the plates B to be greatly pressed inwardly against the front andback of the person, the metallic bows or braces C C are brought intoservice to connteract this injurious action of the load.

These braces C are constructed of elastic steel or metallic bars bent inthe required shape, so as to lit the body of the wearer, and allow thearms to drop or be carried at the side without discomfort. They arecovered with leather or anysuitable material down to near thebreastplates, and for proper supporting connection with the straps A Aof the saddle they are provided with buckles f f. When used, thesebraces extend around the chest and behind the back just under the arms,and their ends are brought together from each side and inserted withinthe sockets c ofthe plates B, one end passing and overlapping the likeend of the opposite brace. To hold the inner edges of the saddle-strapsA away from the neck, and also to keep the braces horizontal, thebuckles ff are united with the short coiinectioii-straps g g, firmlyconnected with the straps A A, one

at the front and the other at the back. This arrangement keeps thebraces in proper horizontal position, and allows them to hold out theplates B away from the body against the weight of the load, and preventsa horizontal inward pressure of those parts of the harness against thechest and back. The arms of the braces are intended to be made ofsufficient elasticity to react against pressure of the load upon thestirrup-plates B, and yet to always retain their shape. These bows orbraces are not used where the blanket-roll alone and light militaryequipment, or a light load, is to be borne.

In place of the two metallic bows or braces, a single brace may be used,passing from the stirrups or breast-plates in front to the one in rearand over the shoulder not covered by the blanket-roll.

In place of either the one or the two bows or braces above described,where the blanketroll is carried by a man having a very protuberantchest, the saddle-pieces A may be lined and braced from front to rearwith narrow liat wlialebone-like steel ribs, fitted to the Vshape of theshoulders, &c., designed to resist the inward pressure.

In connection with this saddle, Ste., is combined an improvedainmunitioii-belt for army and hunting purposes, by which a greaterqualitity of cartridges can be carried about the person in such positionthat they are always at hand ready for use. It consists of a waistbelt,F, to which is secured around the entire circumference a consecutiveseries of double cases, G Gr G', each composed of a fixed case andavinovable case or ap that serves as a cover.

Upon the inner sides of the pa-rts are arranged the thimbles h h', of asize to receive and hold the cartridges. These thimbles are arranged sothat the cartridges held by the thimbles in one part or halt' of thecase occupy the space between the cartridges of the other part or halfwhen the liap is closed, and the two parts of the case are caused to n'tmore closely and compactly together.

The weight of this belt is supported from the plates B B of the harness,both at front and back, by means of the hook-plates I I, that aresecured to the belt by the adjustable straps J J, extending from theloops i t', and passing through the slots in the plates I. The hooks orclips provided in these plates engage with the center slot of thestirrup-plate B when the harness and belt are adjusted on the body, andserve as a ready means for connecting and disconnecting the two parts.The weight of the belt and its contents is thus taken up by the saddleand distributed equally upon both shoulders, while the simple manner ofconnecting it at two points only--one in front and the'otlier at thebackallows the belt to be quickly adjusted, and also to be shifted andturned around to bring the rear cartridges into service when thecontents of the front cases are exhausted. By diseiigaging the hooks I Iat the front and back., one movement will shift the belt around thewaist without detaching any other buckles or fastenings, and the emptycases are thrown behind and the lilled ones brought to the front.

Ready access to the cartridge-cases is had by raisin g the llaps orouter halves. When thus raised the heads of the cartridges in the tworows are adjacent to each other.

A larger quantity of cartridges can be carried, if desired, by having anadditional row of thimbles secured upon the outside of the outer flap.

This improvement of constructing the ammuiiition-belt with double cases,and of suspending it entirely from the upper part of the frame withoutpressing or bearing upon any of the respiratory organs and other vitalparts, renders it of great value and utility for the soldier, hunter,and scout, especially in frontier service, where: operations arefrequently carried on at long distances from the base of supplies; andthe rapidity with which the belt. can be disengaged and turned about thebody is also a point of great advantage.

The arrangement of the smaller cases Gll at the sides of the belt isdesigned to allow different articles-as a pistol-holster, forinstance-to be strapped or secured to the belt at these points. Byleaving out the cartridges fromv the flaps of the smaller case G", thestrap or loop of the holster can be passed around the belt at this partand tightly buckled in place; or the pistol or the bayonet scabbard canbe secured to a strap riveted or sewed to the outer tlap or cover of thesmaller 'case G.

In cases where it may be of advantagelo carry an extra supply ofpistol-cartridges immediately about the person and in readiness for use,I construct or provide the holster K with a row or number of rows ofthimbles up-` on the outer side to receive the ammunition, and this,when buckled in place to the belt with the cartridges outside, is alwaysin readiness. Other articles ofa soldiers or hunters accouterment can beattached to and suspended from the stirrup-plates B of the harness bystraps or hooks running through the slots in the edges thereof, or byhooks or clips engaging therewith. Oanteens, haversacks, riiies,side-arms, &c., are thus readily carried and supported by that part ofthe body best adapted to receive and bear the weight.

rlhe method of adjusting the saddle with blanket roll is essentially asfollows: The blanket-roll having tirst been made by laying the blankettlat, placing clothing, &c., neatly in symmetrical layersI along` one ofthe long edges, then rolling same as tightly as possible from the longedge, then tying or strapping one or more points at or near the center,then strapping the ends and connecting' them together to within aboutlsix inches by one of the above-described blanket-straps, it is nowplaced upon the saddle, previously laid upon the ground in position toreceive it, and the blanket-roll is readily strapped in place by theblanket-straps of the saddle-stirrups. The blanket-roll, with saddle, isnow raised. The saddle is passed over the head and adjusted upon theshoulders, the right arm being passed through the roll when the latteris carried across the left shoulder, and vice versa. The cartridge-belthaving been buckled about the waist, the hooks to support the same arenow adjusted tothe stirrup-pieces. W'hen the braces are used they arealso now adjusted.

To remove the harness. rst unclasp the hooks supportingthe waist-belt;then raise the saddle with blanket-roll over the head.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with the saddle consisting` of the adjustable straps AA and the stirrup-plates B B, as described, the blanketstraps D I),secured to the said plates at the front and rear, substantially asherein described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the saddle consisting of the straps A A and thestirrup-plates B B, as described, the suspension-plates I I, with hooksor clips adapted to engage with holes or slots provided in the rim ofthe stirrup-plates, and with connecting and suspendi ing straps J J, forsupportingthe waist-belt or other weights at the lower part of the body,substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

3. The double-case ammunition waist-belt having the continuous row ofcartridge-cases, as described, the outer parts or halves, G', of whichserve as iiaps, covers, and protections for the inner parts, G, whencombined with the suspensory straps J J, constructed and arranged tooperate substantially as describedi 4. The ammunition-beltconstructed asherein described, with double cartridgeeases extending continuouslyaround from front to back, and with the said cases made inthe separatedsections, and with shorter sections at the sides of the waist, asdescribed, constructed and arranged to operate for the purposes setforth.

5. In combination with the saddle consisting of thel straps AA andstirrul'i-plates B B, as described, the bows or braces C O, constructedand applied substantially as described, to en gage with the said platesB B at front and back, for the purposes set forth.

6. In colnbination with the straps A A of the saddle and the bows orbraces C U, arranged to act as described, the straps f j" and buckles gg, secured to these said parts, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 6th day of November, 1878.

JACOB E. BLOOM. |L. s.]

Witnesses:

G. W. M. SMITH, EDWARD E. OsBoRNE.

